University of Southern California
THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Department of Choral and Sacred Music
A Handbook for Bachelor of Arts – Choral Music Students
2016–2017
Thornton School of Music
University of Southern California
840 West 34th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0851
213.821.5756
[email protected]
CONTENTS
Faculty and Staff ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Resources for Research and Study ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Entrance and Admissions Process ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Course Work................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Suggested Sequence of Courses ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
General Information for Undergraduate Students in Choral Music......................................................................................... 10
Financial Considerations ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Ensemble Singing ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
USC ACDA Student Chapter ............................................................................................................................................................... 12
BA Choral Lab........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Department Projects & Festivals .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
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CHORAL AND SACRED MUSIC DEPARTMENT FACULTY AND STAFF
Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, Chair and Professor
Office: MUS 417 • 213.740.3226 • [email protected]
Courses: Chamber Singers, Choral Development, Choral Conducting III & IV, Recital and Dissertation Supervision
Dr. Nick Strimple, Associate Professor of Choral and Sacred Music
Office: MUS 418 • 213.740.3227 • [email protected]
Courses: Choral Literature I, II, Music and the Holocaust, Holocaust and the Creative Impulse, Introduction to Jewish
Music, Music of the Great Liturgies, Recital Supervision
Dr. Cristian Grases, Associate Professor of Choral Music
Office: MUS 203 • 213.740.3225 • [email protected]
Courses: Concert Choir, Choral Conducting II, Choral Literature III, Introduction to Choral Music, Recital and
Dissertation Supervision
Dr. Tram Sparks, Adjunct Associate Professor of Choral and Sacred Music
310.614.1580 • [email protected]
Courses: Choral Conducting II, III & IV; Cantata and Oratorio, Hymnology, Dissertation Supervision, Sacred Music
Administration
Dr. Morten Lauridsen, Distinguished Professor of Composition
Office: MUS 309 • 213.740.3145 • [email protected]
Courses: Choral Arranging and Composition
Dr. Ladd Thomas, Chair and Professor of Organ Studies
213.740.7703 • [email protected]
Courses: The Organist in Worship and Congregational Life, Private Organ Instruction
Prof. Alvin Brightbill
949.533.9316 • [email protected]
Courses: Private Choral Voice Lessons
Prof. Mary Mattei
562.852.8526 • [email protected]
Courses: Private Choral Voice Lessons
Prof. Lisa Sylvester, Adjunct Professor
Office: RHM 206 • 213.740.7704 • [email protected]
Courses: IPA for Singers
Prof. Lynn Helding, Associate Professor
Office: RHM 302 • 213.740.7704 • [email protected]
Courses: Vocology
Woody Gatewood, Department Coordinator
Office: MUS 416 • 213-821-575 • [email protected]
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Introduction
The Choral and Sacred Music program at the University of Southern California is committed to excellence in Choral
and Sacred music and to the importance of the Arts as an essential component of life. The curricula are designed to build a
skilled and well-rounded musician and to develop the inherent musical, scholarly, and personal strengths of both the
undergraduate and the graduate student. The program is committed to providing quality musical performance
opportunities to both music and non-music majors, as well as to members of the University, Los Angeles, and the global
community. The choral program accepts students who will pursue a variety of professional directions, including
performance, education, research, and sacred music. Graduate courses are organized into the fields of literature and score
study, the choral/vocal instrument, and conducting and teaching. The Sacred Music program also emphasizes
administration and, when applicable, instrumental performance.
Graduate students in choral and sacred music interact with undergraduates in this program, helping to build the
inherent musical and personal strengths of each. Choral ensembles are open to both music and non-music majors. Podium
time is provided through opportunities with the USC Thornton Choral Ensembles and the Recital Choir. Many of our
students also hold conducting positions in local community choruses, colleges, and in churches and synagogues.
USC Thornton’s location near downtown Los Angeles, in the city’s arts and educational corridor, affords its students
immediate proximity to the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County and an array of museums, research centers,
libraries, the film and music industries, and thriving early and new music concert series.
The USC Thornton Department of Choral and Sacred Music is actively involved with the work of the American Choral
Directors Association, Chorus America, National Collegiate Choral Organization, National Association of Church
Musicians, Cantors Assembly, and the International Federation for Choral Music. We believe the human spirit is elevated
to a broader understanding of itself through study and performance of Art, and that music ennobles the human spirit.
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH AND STUDY
Libraries
Music Library
The USC Thornton Music Library, housed on the ground floor of Doheny Memorial Library, serves the needs of
scholars, performers, and music‐lovers. The collections include approximately 20,000 books, 60,000 scores (both reference
and circulating), and some 25,000 recordings (CD, LP, cassette, video, and laserdisc). The Library owns or subscribes to
most major critical editions and scholarly journals on music and collects many more popular resources as well. A major
emphasis in recent years (in line with an ongoing University Library initiative) has been electronic resources, which include
numerous databases (e.g., FirstSearch, LexisNexis), reference works (e.g., Oxford Music Online), and electronic journals
including those available through JSTOR. There are listening and viewing stations, computer terminals, and reading and
work areas for the convenience of students and other patrons.
Special archives within the Music Library include the Bickford Collection of guitar music, and the papers of composer
Ingolf Dahl.
 www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/music/
 213.740.0183.
Doheny Memorial Library (DML)
One of the most architecturally impressive buildings on the USC campus, Doheny Memorial Library, which opened to
the public in 1932, contains molded and polychromed ceilings, stained glass windows, and other decorative details that
were carefully restored to their original brilliance during a recent renovation. DML houses the University’s main collections
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of books and journals (with the exception of certain branch libraries); its other divisions include the Reference Center,
Integrated Document Delivery (which combines the older current periodicals, interlibrary loan, and microform
departments), Archival Research Center (ARC), Cinema/TV Library (with significant music holdings, including the Alfred
Newman Collection), and Special Collections Library. In addition, there is a display room for special exhibits.
USC’s Information Services Division (ISD), oversees both libraries and computing services on campus. ISD is
committed to electronic resources, including databases, bibliographic reference resources, and a digital archive of images
and other materials.
 www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/doheny/
 tel. 213.740.6050 (information), 213.740.2924 (circulation), 213.740.4039 (Reference), 213.740.3994 (Cinema),
213.740.3571 (IDD).
Special Collections/Lion Feuchtwanger Memorial Library
The holdings of USC’s Special Collections Library, combining donations and materials actively collected by the
University, include some 130,000 books, 1.4 million manuscripts, and 1.3 million photographs. An important component of
this division is the Lion Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, acquired from the estate of this émigré German writer (1884 –
1958); this collection is particularly rich in materials from the German expressionist movement, but it also includes many
significant items from the 18th and 19th centuries. Among other émigré materials is the Max Reinhardt Collection, in which
theater and opera are well represented.
Special Collections include a number of historic musical items dating as far back as the 15th century, as well as
manuscripts of important film composers such as Dimitri Tiomkin, and the autograph manuscript of Igor Stravinsky’s
opera The Rake’s Progress.
 www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/special_collections/
 tel.: 213.740.4035 (Special Collections), 213.740.5946 (Special Collections Librarian John Ahouse), 213.740.7119
(Feuchtwanger Librarian Marje Schuetze‐Coburn).
Leavey Library
The core of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Library, which opened in 1994, is the former College Library, to which
numerous electronic and technological resources have been added. Leavey Library’s many networked computer stations,
study rooms, and its long opening hours make it a favorite place for students to study, individually and in groups.
The Center for Scholarly Technology (CST) in Leavey Library assists faculty and other members of the USC
community with teaching and research-related projects, and it offers a year-round schedule of classes and other programs
on information technology. The Shoah Foundation is also located in the Leavey Library.
 www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/leavey/
 tel.: 213.740.4350 (Leavey circulation), 213.740.8819 (CST).
Hoose Library of Philosophy
The Hoose Library collections include numerous important early texts on musical aesthetics, theory, and history.
Mudd Hall, in which the library is housed, is one of the finest architectural landmarks on campus, featuring a Romanesque
exterior, and brilliantly executed tile, stained glass, and painted beamed ceilings.
 www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/philosophy/
 tel.: 213.740.7434 (Dr. Ross Scimeca, Hoose)
Polish Music Center (PMC)
Founded in 1985 and largely supported by the generosity of Dr. Stefan and Mrs. Wanda Wilk, the Polish Music Center
(formerly Polish Music Reference Center), located in Stonier Hall, is a repository of editions, compositional manuscripts
(including autograph scores of such composers as Witold Lutoslawski), monographs, journals and recordings relating to
Polish music, whether historical or modern. The PMC maintains an award-winning website
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(www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music) and electronic journal, Polish Music Journal (www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/PMJ), and
organizes scholarly conferences, concerts, and other events on Polish music.
 www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music
 tel.: 213.740.9369.
Other significant libraries in the Los Angeles Area:
Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, founded by railroad baron Henry E.
Huntington, together form one of the most significant cultural institutions in the Western United States. The Library’s
holdings in British and American literature (both manuscript and printed) are especially rich, and include some important
musical items. General visitors can view both permanent and temporary exhibits, and qualified scholars may use the
collections by appointment.
 www.huntington.org
 tel.: 626.405.2100 (information) 626.405.2191 (Reader Services).
Getty Research Institute (GRI)
The GRI is the main scholarly division of the J. Paul Getty Trust. Its stunningly situated campus overlooks the Pacific
and the entire Los Angeles basin. Its extensive collections of monographs, journals, and archival materials concentrate on
the history of art and culture, including ritual, spectacle, and performance. Among recent archival acquisitions are the
papers of the avant-garde pianist David Tudor and a vast collection of Italian theatrical materials spanning five centuries.
The GRI hosts a large number of visiting scholars, in both year-long and shorter-term programs, and sponsors frequent
exhibitions and lectures. Local scholars may obtain reading-room privileges, and (upon demonstration of need) access to
archives and special collections.
 www.getty.edu/research/institute
 tel.: 310.440.7335 (information), 310.440.7390 (reference)
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library of the University of California, Los Angeles
One of the special collections libraries of UCLA, the Clark Library, occupies a partly neo-Renaissance (outside), partly
Augustan-era (inside) villa in the historic West Adams district, only a few miles from USC. The Clark’s collections
(reflecting the interests of its founder) focus principally on British literature of the Restoration and 18th Century, California
history, and Oscar Wilde. Musical materials include numerous 18th-Century opera scores and engraved concert tickets.
Each year the Clark Library hosts numerous scholarly conferences sponsored by the Center for Seventeenth- and
Eighteenth-Century Studies, as well as chamber music concerts.
 http://clarklibrary.ucla.edu/
 tel.: 323.731.8529 (Clark), 310.206.8552 (Center)
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BACHELOR OF ARTS – CHORAL MUSIC
Guidelines for Bachelor of Arts Degree Students in Choral Music (BACM)
Entrance Requirements and Admissions Process
The application process: To successfully apply to USC Thornton, you must submit the USC Application for
Undergraduate Admission via the Common Application and complete the USC Thornton School of Music Portfolio via
SlideRoom. Included below are the links for the candidate’s reference. Please note that the application deadline for Fall
2017 is December 1, 2016. This is not a postmark deadline—all application materials must be received by this date,
including sufficient test scores.
 USC Undergraduate Application: http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/admission/stepsforapplying/
 Specific requirements for Choral Music applicants: http://music.usc.edu/departments/choral/ba-choral-music/
Pre-screening, Audition, and Interview
Applicants to programs in Choral Music must submit a pre-screen recording (video format preferred for undergraduate
applicants) to be pre-screened by the faculty. The results of this pre-screen will determine whether an applicant will be
invited to perform a live audition on the USC campus in Los Angeles. At the live audition, each applicant will:
 perform two solo vocal selections, for which an accompanist will be provided
 demonstrate basic sight singing and pitch retention ability and will also take a test covering basic aural and written
theory skills
A successful on-campus audition must be completed prior to acceptance into the degree program.
Application Timeline
December 1
January 1
April 1
May 1
April 15-June 1
Application Deadline for all applicants (Common Application and SlideRoom)
Prescreen Decision Notifications (via email)
First-year Decision Notifications
First-year Commitment Deadline
Transfer Decision Notifications (on-going)*
*Release of final transfer admission decisions is dependent on all required applications
materials being received in a timely manner from applicants.
Important Information for Transfer Applicants
 Transfer applicants must satisfy additional requirements to be admissible to USC and the Thornton School. It is
extremely important that you read the following information:
o Transferring to Thornton FAQ: http://music.usc.edu/admissions/transfer
 If you have any questions about transferring to USC and the Thornton School, please contact Brittany Seits,
Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at [email protected].
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COURSE WORK
IMPORTANT NOTE: All information in this section is subject to the appropriate year of the USC Catalogue, which for
every purpose is the document of authority on matters of course requirements and progress to the degree.
The BA in Choral Music is a four-year, 128-unit program divided in four core programs:
 General Education (64 units): comprised of classes in writing, social studies, foreign language (3 semesters of one
of the following languages: Italian, French, German, Spanish, or Japanese), 20 credits of general education classes,
and 20 credits of general education elective classes.
 Lower Division Music (30 units): students will develop their abilities in basic musicianship with aural skills, music
theory, music history, and keyboard skills classes.
 Upper Division Music (18 units): students will develop skills in key areas such as vocal instruction, choral
ensemble, advanced music history, studies in musical culture, and elementary orchestration.
 Choral Music (16 units): finally, students will receive in-depth instruction in important areas of the choral
profession such as choral conducting, choral ensemble, introduction to choral music, choral development, choral
arranging, and IPA for singers. When available, BACM students will be invited to conduct the Concert Choir in an
end-of-the-year student recital coached by the Choral Music Department faculty.
(It is the responsibility of the student, in consultation with his/her advisor, to select and complete classes in a timely and
appropriate order. Before registering each semester, the student should select classes with the advice, written approval, and
signature of the Admissions Office.)
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SUGGESTED SEQUENCE OF REQUIRED COURSES
Freshman Year – Fall
MUCO
132a
MUCO
133a
MPKS
250a
GE CAT
VI
WRIT
140
MUEN
3XX
MPVA
301
Units
Aural Skills I
2
Theory I
3
Keyboard Instruction I
2
Social Issues GE
4
Writing & Critical Reasoning
4
Choral Ensemble
1
Individual Instruction (Voice)
1
Total: 17
Freshman Year -- Spring
Units
MUCO
132b Aural Skills I
2
MUCO
133b Theory I
3
MPKS
250b Keyboard Instruction I
2
ARLT
100
General Education Cat. V
4
Language
Foreign Language
4
MUEN
3XX
Choral Ensemble
1
MPVA
301
Individual Instruction (Voice)
1
Total: 17
Sophomore Year -- Fall
Units
MUCO
232a Aural Skills II
2
MUCO
233a Theory II
3
MUHL
231
Music History I
3
GE
General Education
4
Language
Foreign Language
4
MUEN
3XX
Choral Ensemble
1
MPVA
301
Individual Instruction (Voice)
1
Total: 18
Sophomore Year --Spring
Units
MUCO
232b Aural Skills II
2
MUCO
233b Theory II
3
MUHL
232
Music History II
3
GE
General Education
4
Language
Foreign Language
4
MUEN
3XX
Choral Ensemble
1
MPVA
301
Individual Instruction (Voice)
1
Total: 18
Junior Year -- Fall
Units
WRIT
340
Advanced Writing
4
GE
General Education
4
Electives
General Elective Course(s)
2
MPVA
301
Individual Instruction (Voice)
1
MUHL
331
Music History III
3
MUEN
3XX
Choral Ensemble
1
MUCD
340
Choral Conducting I
2
Total: 17
Junior Year -- Spring
Electives
MPVA
301
MUHL
332
MUCM
320
MUEN
3XX
MUCD
441
Senior Year -- Fall
Units
GE
General Education
4
Electives
General Elective Course(s)
4
MUCO
338x Elementary Orchestration
2
MUCM
440
Choral Development
2
MUEN
3XX
Choral Ensemble
1
MPVA
499
Introduction to the International 1
Phonetic Alphabet
Total: 14
Senior Year -- Spring
Electives
General Elective Course(s)
MUEN
3XX
Choral Ensemble
MUCO
441
Choral Arranging
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Units
General Elective Course(s)
6
Individual Instruction (Voice)
1
Studies in Musical Culture
3
Introduction to Choral Music
3
Choral Ensemble
1
Choral Conducting II
2
Total:
Total:
9
16
Units
8
1
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GENERAL INFORMATION FOR UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS IN CHORAL MUSIC
Calendar and Schedule
The Departmental Calendar contains information on the following:
 Dress rehearsals and concerts for: Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Oriana Women’s Choir, Apollo Men’s Chorus,
and University Chorus
 Rehearsals and concerts for Recital Choir
 BA Choral Lab
 Choral Festivals
 Choral Retreats
 Tours
 Special Guests
 Other Events
Maps
Maps of the campus can be found in Booth [BMH] 101.
Facilities
Buildings used most frequently by department undergraduate students are listed below. Abbreviations are in [ ].
 Booth [BMH]: some ensemble rehearsal rooms
 Bovard [ADM]: used by the orchestra, for choral/orchestral works, and Winter Gala
 Doheny [DML]: Doheny Memorial Library (Music Library on Ground Floor)
 Newman [AHF]: chamber recital hall, used for solo, small ensemble, and choral concerts
 Ramo [RHM]: lessons, primarily voice and strings
 University Gateway [UGW]: practice rooms and some small ensemble rooms
 Music Faculty Building [MUS]: faculty offices, classrooms, Hirt Choral Laboratory (MUS 106) where most choral
rehearsals are held
 United University Church [UUC]: performance venue for some solo and choral concerts, classrooms and offices in
the basement and on the 2nd floor.
 The Music Complex [TMC]
 Alice & Eleonore Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall [AES]
 Carson Center [CTV]
 Caruso Catholic Center
Parking
 Information is available online at http://transnet.usc.edu/Parking
 Parking Options
o Purchase a monthly sticker for one of the USC garages.
o Purchase a sticker for the Shrine lot, some restrictions may apply.
o Pay a daily fee to a USC garage.
o Use metered parking on the street.
 The most dependable option may be to park at the University Parking Center [UPX], (3401 Grand Ave). It is close
to the music school and there are trams that run periodically between campus and the parking center.
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Church/Synagogue/College/University Positions
Information regarding church/synagogue job openings can be found on the 4th floor of MUS, on the bulletin board
across from 416.
Practice Rooms
In order to use the practice rooms in UGW, you must see the Music Operations Office in Booth 101 to sign up for a
practice room sticker. Practice rooms are only available for use by students with a practice room sticker.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Regardless of a family’s financial circumstances, all domestic applicants are encouraged to apply for university needbased aid. Specific information on USC’s financial aid program and complete financial aid application instructions can be
found at http://www.usc.edu/financialaid. The USC Financial Aid Office strives to meet each undergraduate student’s full
determined need, and the process for doing so requires considerable documentation, including the FAFSA and CSS Profile,
and in some cases, a copy of your family’s federal tax returns. Please follow all deadlines closely and plan ample time to
complete the process.
Undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Choral Music are not eligible for Thornton scholarship awards. For
detailed information about USC academic scholarships and additional tips and resources, please visit the USC Financial
Aid website links below.
 Academic Scholarships: http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/firstyear/prospective/scholarships.html
 Tips & Resources http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/undergraduates/prospective/tips-resources.html
ENSEMBLE SINGING
General information
There are six choral ensembles in the Thornton School of Music
Ensemble
Conductor(s)
Chamber Singers
Scheibe
Concert Choir
Grases
Apollo Men’s Chorus
Harrison, Rieker, James
Oriana Women’s Choir Apanovitch, Dawson, Ramsey
University Chorus
Liu, Simpson, Lee
Rehearsal Days
Mon, Wed, Fri
Tues, Thurs, Fri
Mon & Wed
Tues & Thurs
Wed
Times
2:00–3:50
2:00–3:50
4:00–5:50
4:00–5:50
7:00–8:50
Size
c. 32 voices
c. 52 voices
c. 40 men
c. 50 women
c. 75 voices
Recital Choir
 Conducted by graduate students presenting recitals: Tues 7:00–8:50; Fri 2:00–3:50 in MUS 106
 Recitals usually take place Tuesday evenings in MUS 106; dress rehearsals are typically held the Monday prior
from 6:30-8:20pm. Check the Departmental Master Calendar for actual dates/times.
Choral Artists
Choral Artists is the name given to combinations of USC choirs, usually Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, used
primarily when singing with an orchestra.
Requirements
 All BACM students are required to participate in one Choral Music Department ensemble. Participation in
additional ensembles including Recital Choir is optional and must be approved by the department chair and the
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


student’s voice teacher. Given the amount of activities and course work during the year, students are strongly
encouraged to limit their participation in other ensembles outside the Choral Music Department.
BACM students may not substitute any other USC Thornton ensembles for their choral ensemble requirement.
BACM students must audition, either in March or August, for ensemble placement.
Many ensembles hold retreats and go on tour. BACM students must arrange to cover their other obligations so
they are available to participate fully in these activities.
Concert Attire & Appearance
Ensemble conductors and Teaching Assistants are responsible for enforcing the following. Students who do not
comply with these requirements will not be allowed to participate in the concert and this will be reflected in their grade.
With certain ensemble exceptions, all choral ensembles wear the same basic concert attire. These items are ordered in the
fall through the ensembles:
Women: stock black dresses (approximately $85) and black, close-toed shoes.
All Women:
 Hair must be worn away from the face and up off the neck—no large clips or other hair jewelry
 Small stud earrings, small watches and rings are acceptable
 No necklaces or other distracting jewelry
 Black, sheer hose and black shoes must be worn
Men: tuxes with black tie, black socks and shoes, cummerbund (approximately $130) or attire as determined by the
Department for the ensemble
All Men:
 Long hair must be pulled back away from the face—no hair jewelry
 Facial hair must be neatly trimmed
 Small stud earrings, watches and rings are acceptable
 No necklaces or other distracting jewelry
 Black socks and black tux shoes must be worn
USC ACDA STUDENT CHAPTER
The Student Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is an integral part of the national American
Choral Directors Association. The membership of this organization is comprised of students at the University of Southern
California who, because of their serious interest in the improvement of choral music and the profession of the choral
director, have chosen to become members of the USC Thornton Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
This organization is overseen by Dr. Cristian Grases as the Faculty Advisor.
The purposes of this organization are set forth in the National Constitution of the American Choral Directors Association,
and are stated as follows:
1. To foster and promote choral singing, which will provide artistic, cultural, and spiritual experiences for the
participants.
2. To foster and promote the finest types of choral music to make these experiences possible.
3. To foster and encourage rehearsal procedures conducive to attaining the highest possible level of musicianship and
artistic performance.
4. To foster and promote the organization and development of choral groups of all types in schools and colleges.
5. To foster and promote the development of choral music in the church and synagogue.
6. To foster and promote the organization and development of choral societies in cities and communities.
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7. To foster and promote understanding of choral music as an important medium of contemporary artistic
expression.
8. To foster and promote significant research in the field of choral music.
9. To foster and encourage choral composition of superior quality.
10. To cooperate with all organizations dedicated to the development of musical culture in America
11. To foster and promote international exchange programs involving performing groups, conductors, and
composers.
12. To disseminate professional news and information about choral music.
Members of the USC ACDA Student Chapter may have the opportunity to raise funds to finance their participation in
academic development activities. Funds could be raised for travel expenses and registration fees related to attendance at
national and regional conventions, sponsorship of lectures, guest speakers, and concerts, and other activities.
All BACM Students are expected to become active members of the USC ACDA Student Chapter.
Projects under the umbrella of the USC ACDA Student Chapter
 BA Choral Lab
 Lecture Series
 ACDA National and Regional conferences
 Departmental Projects and Festivals
 Undergraduate Leaders Concert with Concert Choir
BA CHORAL LAB
The BA Choral Lab is a unique and valuable conducting experience, managed and organized entirely by USC BACM
students. It provides additional opportunities for BACM students to conduct and rehearse choral selections with a choir
consisting of BACM students and other undergraduate and graduate student volunteers. Generally, the BA Choral Lab
produces one concert each semester. Though BA Choral Lab is not an official Thornton ensemble, all BACM students
are expected to participate. Details will be provided at the beginning of the school year.
DEPARTMENTAL PROJECTS & FESTIVALS
Make note of all departmental concerts, festivals, and events. BACM students are required to attend all of these events and
to assist with logistics.
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